Wooden lath processing apparatus



July 27, 1948. E. E. WALUND ET AL WOODEN LATH PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed April 23. 1947 4 W 5 m w a 21 2 W 2 5 m II N G W, v F 4 a M 2 k 6 3 2 A 6 A 0 .3 0 3 I d M m OOO 00000 00 Y N W o 0 0 0 ace 2 w 00 2 A I FIG.2

ERNEST E WALUIVD8 MELVIN E WALU/VD INVENTORS C gTTORNEY Patented July 27, 1948 WOODEN LATH PROCESSING APPARATUS Ernest E. Walund and Melvin E. Walund, Eureka, Calif.

Application April 23, 1947, Serial No. 743,410

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to the processing of lath manufactured from freshly cut timber nd finished by planing, to remove the sap moisture, accelerate drying, and prevent warpage and checking. The invention is particularly concerned with apparatus for use in effecting the process.

Economic considerations require that timber of certain grades be processed within a few hundred yards of timber growth. Small portable mills are employed which are set up as close to the heart of the timber stand to be processed as possible. A minimum of apparatus can be afforded and operations must be speedily and efficiently carried forward through completion. Rough topography requires that a minimum of mill site area be developed. Only those processing units essential to physical reduction of a marketable product at the millsite are generally employed. Heretof-ore kilning of the product at such sites has not been effected because usual kiln equipment has not proven economical.

For the safety of forests from fires spontaneously resulting from accumulations of waste wood, all waste, such as slabs, saw dust, and shavings is prohibited from accumulation. It is, as a general rule, burned in approved burners, the approval of burners being based on freedom from fire risk. Heretofore the heat from these waste burners has been a total waste, no economical way of utilizing these burners having been discovered.

By our invention we utiliz the heat generated by these waste burners to artificially and rapidly season the lath in a controlled humidity atmosphere found adequate for the purpose. Important results of such seasoning are that the product is marketable soon after finishing; the drying yards which would otherwise be desirable are unnecessary; and the water is removed from the product within a few feet of the planing operation so that minimum freightage costs are accomplished. We are aware that these general objectives have been hitherto accomplished in large mill operations, but we believe that our invention, occurrent in small portable mill operations, marks a substantial step forward in this increasingly important field.

The particular construction of our apparatus is pointed out in the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, largely in section, of the waste burner and the kiln apparatus; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

The apparatus comprises an approved burner I0. This burner is formed by a metal wall I2 of conoidal shape topped by an hemispherical screen Hi. The base of the burner provides peripheral air intake ports l6 and a central grate upon which the ashes and fuel l8 accumulate in burning. Air rising through intakes l6 supplies an envelope around the fire zone to support combustion and to cool the interior surface of wa11 l2 which is, nevertheless, heated by radiation from the flame. The exterior surface of wall I2 is steep to prevent lodging of leaves, etc., which could be ignited by the hot metal.

Waste wood from the mill, such as shavings and sawdust are delivered onto the burning pile l8 by a conduit 20, which is the discharge pipe of a cyclone type separator 22. (It is preferred to comminute all waste before burning to accelerate the action and maintain a fairly uniform rate of destruction of the waste.)

To the foregoing apparatus we add a kiln 22; an air circulation system including an air heater 24 and an electric motor operated blower 26; and a simple water vapor generator 28.

The air heater is formed by a sheet metal assembly welded to the exterior face of the wall l2 to provide an inverted pocket-shaped cavity opening toward the base of the burner and in close proximity to some of the ports I6. An educti'on port 30 is provided near the upper end of the pocket and communicates with a manifold 32 through down-duct 34. The blower 26 functions to draw air through the opening 35 in heater 24 and to deliver heated and humidified air to the manifold 32 whence it passes into the kiln box 22 (near the bottom 38), through a number of inlet ports 40. Screen 42 is provided at the inlet of pocket air heater 24 and an additional screen is provided at 44 to prevent solid materials, particularly leaves, etc., from entering heater 24 and so avoid setting fire to the kiln.

A water supply comprising a pipe 461 is mounted to pass into the pocket 24 and is provided with orifices 48 for dripping water onto an evaporator anvil 50 which is provided for the purpose of accumulating a large amount of heat to cause the water to form steam. The anvil corrodes rapidly under this action and is purposely provided and arranged for ready replacement. A suitable valve (not shown), in the supply to pipe 46 serves as adequate regulation for the humidity of the air delivered to the kiln.

We claim:

Lath processing apparatus comprisinga waste burner having a steeply inclined metal exterior wall and screened top, an inverted chamber forming pocket welded onto the exterior surface of the wall and extending to a region adjacent the bottom of the burner wall, air intake ports for said pocket and the burner in adjacent relation at the bottom of the wall, a kiln providing a, chamber having a plurality of inlet and outlet ports at respective ends thereof, duct means connecting the upper end of the pocket to the inlet ports of the kiln, an air pump mounted in the duct; a drip water supply mounted to drip water into the pocket, and a replaceable anvil mounted on the exterior surface of the burner wall for contact by the drippage of water and to absorb heat from the 5 wall to cause boiling off of the drippage.

ERNEST E. WALUND. MELVIN E. WALUND. 

